Recently, hairdryers, hairbrushes, etc., with functions to expel ionized particles (negatively ionized air or positively ionized air) have enjoyed increasing popularity. These devices make it possible to obtain the effect of treating the hair, making it more manageable and giving it more body, by expelling towards the hair negatively ionized air or positively ionized air while drying the hair or brushing the hair.
In conventional hairdryers, etc., of the type described above, the effect of expelling negatively ionized air or positively ionized air at an object has been to create a static charge in the object due to the ionized particles expelled. The build up of this static charge presents a problem in that it prevents the treatment, described above, from being fully effective. For example, as shown in FIG. 24, when an object 3 becomes positively charged and negatively ionized particles generated by an ionized particle generator 2 strike the object 3, the positive charges that have accumulated in the object 3 are neutralized by the negatively ionized particles 1, reducing the electric potential V1 as shown in FIG. 25. After this, when the object 3 goes to a negative electric potential, the ionized particles 1 and the object 3 both have the same polarity, and thus repel each other, preventing the adsorption of the ionized particles. When, as is shown in FIG. 26, a negative charge has accumulated on the object 3, the electric potential V2 of the object 3 is the same as that of the ionized particles (as shown in FIG. 27), so they repel each other, preventing adsorption. As shown in FIGS. 28 through 31, when positively ionized particles are used as the ionized particles 1, the electric potential V3 of the object 3 and the electric potential of the charged particle 1 are both reversed, and so, similarly, as time passes the electric potential V4 of the object 3 (FIG. 31) goes to the same polarity as the ionized particles 1, causing the ionized particles 1 and the object 3 to repel each other, preventing the ionized particles 1 from adsorbing. The result is that it has been difficult to cause the ionized particles 1 generated by the ionized particle generator 2 to be adsorbed continuously by the object 3.
The present invention provides an ion application device and ion application method that is able to apply ionized particles continuously, able to cause a greater number of ionized particles to be attracted to the object, and able to cause these ionized particles to be adsorbed continuously by the object.
In general, in one aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for applying ionized particles. The apparatus comprises an ionized particle emitter for emitting generating ionized particles against an object, and an electric potential maintainer for maintaining electric potential of the object at a predetermined level such that the ionized particles emitted against the object by the ionized particle emitter are continuously attracted to the object while the electric potential is maintained.
In general, in one aspect, the present invention relates to a method for applying ionized particles. The method comprises emitting ionized particles against the object, and maintaining electric potential of an object at a predetermined level such that the ionized particles are continuously attracted to the object while the electric potential is maintained.
In general, in one aspect, the present invention relates to a hairdryer. The hairdryer comprises a housing body having an air intake opening and an air outlet opening, an air ionizing device disposed within the housing body for generating ionized air, a fan disposed within the housing body for introducing air into the housing body through the air intake opening and directing the air to the air ionizing device such that the air containing ionized air is discharged through the air outlet opening, a handle attached to the housing body, and a voltage generator attached to the hairdryer for generating voltage of a predetermined level. The voltage generator is electrically connected to the handle such that electric potential of a user grasping the handle is maintained at the predetermined level.
In general, in one aspect, the present invention relates to a hair brush. The hairbrush comprises a main body having a grip portion and a brush portion. The grip portion is provided with an air intake opening and the brush portion is provided with an air outlet opening. The hairdryer further comprises an air ionizing device disposed within the main body for generating ionized air, a fan disposed within the main body for introducing air into the main body through the air intake opening and directing the air to the air ionizing device such that the air containing ionized air is discharged through the air outlet opening; and a voltage generator disposed within the main body for generating voltage of a predetermined level. The voltage generator is electrically connected to the grip portion of the main body such that electric potential of a user grasping the grip portion of the main body is maintained at the predetermined level.
In general, in one aspect, the present invention relates to a steam applicator. The steam applicator comprises a housing body having a steam outlet opening, a steam generator disposed in the housing body for generating steam, an air ionizing device disposed within the housing body for generating ionized air, a fan disposed within the housing body for expelling steam generated by the steam generator toward the air ionizing device such that the steam containing ionized air is discharged through the steam outlet opening, a voltage generator disposed in the housing body for generating a predetermined voltage; and a grip member connected to the housing body via a cable line. The grip member is electrically connected to the voltage generator such that electric potential of a user grasping the grip member is maintained at a predetermined level.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.